Metamorphosis
by MiaElizabeth
Summary: After Elena is Kidnapped by Klaus, what will she be like when she returns six months later? With newfound power and love, Elena is on a mission to protect those she cares about, and wants things to be different to what they were before she left. Two-shot.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Okay, so when I originally wrote this, it was the opening chapter to a story. However, after leaving it for around two/three months, I decided that it'd be better as a two-shot. So I rewrote the entire thing. This is all I have written at the moment, and I don't know when I will get around to the second chapter, as I have recently started a different Delena story. But I am hoping to start the next chapter this week, maybe next week. It's only my second T rated Delena fic, so I hope it meets your expectations. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the _Vampire Diaries_, or any of it's characters.**

_**** "Change means that what was before wasn't perfect. People want things to be better." ****_

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><p><em><strong>~Metamorphosis~<strong>_

_Six months. _It had been six months since I'd seen her. Six months since I'd been able to look into the eyes of the only woman who could make my useless heart actually feel _something. _

Klaus had released Stefan, nine and a half years earlier than any of us had expected. Of course he failed to mention that the only reason he was releasing him, was because he knew Elena was alive and he needed her, not Stefan. So the bastard hybrid got one of his whipped little witches to do his dirty work for him, and they snagged Elena. And we have absolutely no idea where she is or whether she's alive. Klaus needs her blood to make his hybrids, so I'd be surprised if he'd killed her, but if there was one thing I'd learnt since meeting Klaus... it was to expect the unexpected.

I'd be lying if I said I didn't miss her. I missed her _a lot. _I'd tried to track her, like I'd done with Stefan, but of course when you don't have dozens of news articles reporting animal attacks to help you, it's a tad trickier. After about three months I'd realised that I would never find her, even Bonnie couldn't seem to track her down. I felt so broken, so I tried to flip the switch... but the damn things turned against me. No matter how many times I tried, I just couldn't shut off my feelings, and it was clear to me that it was Elena's fault. How can you switch off your feelings when you're in love with Elena Gilbert? It's pretty much impossible.

I watched Stefan as he downed another glass of Whisky. Our daily routine was to sit in the grill and get wasted. At first I figured we were both mourning over Elena, but no. Stefan said all the drinking keeps the edge off of his cravings. He was lucky I hadn't locked him in the basement yet with a herd of bunnies. Getting him off the human stuff had proven more difficult than I'd expected. It took me weeks just to get him to _feel_ again, because his switch _works, _yippee for him! And even once his switch was... _deactivated_, he still seemed far less concerned about Elena than me. Sure, he missed her, but he hadn't even tried to locate her _once_. When he was off biting hot chicks in Tennessee and Chicago, Elena was going out of her mind looking for him, and he wasn't even trying to return the favour. I figured that he still wasn't himself, he was still drinking blood bags after all.

I sat up, deciding I'd had enough Bourbon today. "I'm going home," I informed Stefan. He downed the rest of his drink, got off his stool and then followed me out of the grill. When we stepped outside, I could sense something off. One glance at Stefan told me that he couldn't feel it.

As we turned the corner, I caught sight of a silhouette... someone lurking in the shadows. Just as we got closer, the person stepped out of the darkness, _her_ heels clicking against the concrete.

Stefan and I stared at her, trying to figure out which one of them it was. We both noticed there was no heartbeat coming from her, so of course Stefan started jumping to conclusions

"Katherine, what the hell are you doing here?" He huffed, his words slurring just a tad. He'd probably drank triple the amount I had.

The corners of her lips curled up into an amused smirk and one of her eyebrows rose. She looked at me, expecting me to understand what was so amusing about this situation.

I still wasn't sure that it was Katherine. Sure, the clothes were sort of Katherine's style... tight and slightly provocative. But if it were Katherine, she'd have chosen red and black. Instead she wore a white leather jacket, a tight orange tank top, a pair of faded skinny jeans and a pair of brown, lace up high heeled boots. And even though she hadn't spoken, it just didn't seem like her. The feeling I was getting, was only a feeling her doppelganger could evoke in me.

"Stefan... that's not Katherine. It's Elena," I said, unable to tear my gaze way from her. She was a vampire... she was the thing she'd never wanted to become. I couldn't decide whether I liked the fact she was no longer human. Sure, she would live forever now, and she looked incredibly sexy... but that little smirk on her face told me she wasn't as innocent as she used to be.

"Well done, Damon. I had a feeling _you'd_ be the one to figure it out," she said with a giggle. It wasn't one of those angelic, virtuous giggles at all, it was one of those sexy, playful ones and I liked it... a lot.

Stefan tried to run up to her, his arms outstretched. "Elena, I missed you so much!" he cried, a big smile on his face. Before he could get too close to her, a big invisible shield appeared in front of her, stopping Stefan from reaching her

"Don't bother, Stefan. I didn't come back to rekindle anything, I've got more important things to do than swoon over my high school sweetheart. Besides, you made it perfectly clear in Chicago that this thing between us was over. I wasted the last few months of my human life searching for you so I could bring you home. But when I went missing, you didn't even _try_ to find me," She snorted, annoyance all over her face. She noticed the shocked look on Stefan's face and rolled her eyes and continued, "Yeah, I've been keeping tabs on you. Mainly you, Damon. Klaus knew you were trying to track me, and he would've killed you if you got any closer. I couldn't let that happen, now could I?" She asked, the smirk back on her face.

I had too many things going on in my mind all at once. I was mesmerised by how she brushed Stefan off, he deserved it. I was also stunned by that additional power she had... but most of all, I was amazed by how she'd changed. I was scared she was a different person at first, but she wasn't. It was the same old Elena, just with a lot more confidence. She wasn't being so uptight anymore, her newfound immortality had encouraged her to let loose.

"So why are you back then, Elena? If not for me, then what for?" Stefan asked, bitterly I might add. He really was arrogant sometimes. He dumped her in Chicago, and then when he was released and she was kidnapped, he didn't even attempt to look for her. Yet, he expected her to just jump into his arms when she came home. _Was he serious? _

"Well, Stefan, believe it or not there are other people in this town that I care about besides you," Elena said, now looking at me. "And I'm here to protect them."

"Against what?" Stefan asked, suddenly curious. I decided to let him ask his questions before I voiced my own

"We should take this to a more private location. There's a lot to explain," she said, seriousness dominating her expression

"Sure, let's go to the boarding house," I said. She smiled at me, a soft, warm smile that had my insides tingling. Six months of not seeing her, and she still managed to drive me crazy

We all ran to the boarding house at vampire speed. Once we got there, we all strolled into the living room and got comfortable.

"So, care to explain the situation?" I asked as she sat next to me

"Well, Klaus kidnapped me, which I'm sure you already know. He told me straight away he was going to kill me, but then said I was too valuable to get rid of completely, something to do with the curse. So of course he took enough of my blood so that he could make more hybrids, fed me his blood and snapped my neck. When I woke up, he was disappointed when I told him I didn't feel any more powerful than an ordinary vampire... but I was lying. He told me to do some searching to figure out how to get my powers, which was the perfect opportunity for me to find out what powers I had and why I had them. I spoke to a ton of witches, and managed to find a few who were descendants of some of the witches who witnessed the curse when it was created," Elena explained.

"Did you find out why you had extra powers?" Stefan asked, his eyebrows knitted together in confusion

"Yes. When the curse was created, a witch made sure that the doppelganger that Klaus used in the sacrifice was protected. Obviously Klaus doesn't know the details, but the curse states that if the doppelganger used in the sacrifice is turned into a vampire, then she will be given the power to kill Klaus... but only if her intentions are pure," She told us and smiled. It was weird that she was stronger than both of us, when we were nearly ten times her age

"Why do you need to protect people here then?" Stefan said, harassing her with more questions

"Because Klaus is coming here... soon. He said that too many people here know too much, and I guess he's a little threatened because of Bonnie," Elena sighed, getting a little bored of this conversation

"How could one witch possess all that power to create such an insane curse? I mean surely she had to be really powerful to make _you_ so powerful," I questioned, utterly perplexed.

"Believe me, I didn't understand it either at first. But then the more I thought about it, the more obvious it seemed, and those descendent witches confirmed my suspicions. What if more than one witch had created the curse? What if dozens of them joined together, and harnessed enough power to make a curse that pretty much screwed Klaus," Elena said and chuckled. I had to give it to her, she had a point.

"This is ridiculous, I'm going to bed. Hopefully when I wake up, this craziness will be over," Stefan sighed, making his way upstairs. He was lucky to be a Vampire these days, otherwise he'd wake up with a raging hangover every morning

"Ignore him, he's just being a grouch because you didn't run into his arms and proclaim your undying love to him," I said with an eye roll

"I'm hardly going to lose any sleep over it, I've had six long, boring months to realise that it just wasn't meant to be. Relationships are about give and take, but Stefan seemed to think that that meant me giving and him taking and never vice versa," She said and shrugged. I couldn't help but feel pleased that she'd finally made the realisation that she could do _so_ much better than my selfish ass of a brother.

"So, Salvatore. What trouble have you been causing during my absence? I hope you didn't have too much fun without me," she joked, quickly changing the subject

"Hmm, it's been pretty dull around here actually. It's difficult to have fun without your partner in crime," I said, smirking at her. She grinned and rolled her eyes

"I wasn't really that fun. Except for in Georgia... that's probably the fondest human memory I have, post my parents' death," she said, a small smile gracing her lips. It was nice to know that her best memory from after her parents' death was one that she shared with me.

"I think that a lot of my fondest memories are ones that I share with you. There's this one that I've actually been thinking about a lot lately, it's been... enlightening," she informed me and threw me a pointed glance, something that she did when she was pissed with me about something

"Wow, dying has actually made you talk vaguer than you already did," I snorted. Then suddenly, I was pressed up against the wall with Elena's hand around my throat. She was all vamped out, which was intriguing. _She looked hot. _

"We were always close; I'm not going to deny it anymore. We knew each other better than anyone, and you knew how I felt about being compelled! You didn't give me a chance to respond, you just erased that memory thinking that it was _selfless!_" She yelled, frustration oozing from her. I froze, now understanding what she was talking about.

"Okay, I know it was wrong of me to do, but like I said... I didn't and still don't deserve you. And even if there was the tiniest chance you felt the same way, I didn't want to put you in a position where you felt like you had to choose... so I took myself out of the equation," I sighed, looking away. I'd completely forgotten that she'd remember me telling her I loved her.

"That wasn't your decision to make! No, I wasn't in love with you at the time Damon, but I had feelings for you. I was struggling to come to terms with that... hell, I'm still struggling now. I brushed you off so many times, yet you still tried to find me when I went missing... and seeing that made me realise that I wasn't fair to you. It's _you_ that deserves better, not me," Elena murmured, releasing my neck. Her fangs disappeared and she took a few steps back and then continued, "I... I'm here to protect you all, that's my first priority. I can't let myself get distracted with feelings. Things have to be different this time. I'm staying until Klaus gets here, and we can spend time together until then if you wish, but as soon as Klaus is dead I'm going to Massachusetts, Salem to be precise, to get some more information on these extra powers. This time I'll be gone for good, and one day you'll forget me and find someone who was brave enough to choose you first."

She turned around and began to walk away. _What the hell was wrong with us? _Even when we had the chance to be something _more_, it still couldn't work out!

I was in front of her in a second, holding her arm to stop her from moving. "I know now isn't the time to discuss old feelings, but you should know that there is no way you're leaving here without me _ever_ again. If you want to go to Salem then fine, _we'll_ go to Salem. We can go anywhere you want, I just... I don't have a life unless you're in it," I confessed, looking at the ground. This was all a little too dramatic for my taste, but it was time I was completely honest with her. If she was laying her cards on the table, then so was I.

She looked at me, a slight smile on her face. "Listen, Damon. I don't even know how powerful I am yet; I've only discovered a few aspects of my powers. And I don't know if what I have so far is enough to defeat him, so there's a chance I might not even make it to Salem. So I'm going to find Bonnie now, and see if she can help me figure out what else I can do. And if I can beat him then _maybe_ we can work on this warped friendship of ours," she said and giggled. I smirked at her, knowing she meant a little more than friendship. She took a step closer and pulled me into a hug, resting her head on my shoulder. "I missed you, Damon," she sighed, pulling me even closer

"I missed you too," I murmured, wrapping my arms around her waist. "Go and see Bonnie tomorrow, spend the night here. We can have some fun. You can show me some of your cool powers," I said, using my seductive persuasive voice and doing that eye thing that I knew she secretly loved. She rolled her eyes, instantly knowing what I was trying to do

"You're honestly going to flirt with me to stay? I thought Damon Salvatore had too much dignity to do that sort of thing," she said, smirking massively.

"Mm, normally he does, but I'm afraid that when it comes to you Elena, dignity goes out of the window," I said, grabbing her hand and leading her to the sofa. As we sat down, she stared at me, looking kind of puzzled

"You're acting weird... I mean you're not as sarcastic as usual. Is something wrong?" She asked, pressing her lips together.

"I don't know, I'm feeling nice... which is creepy. Maybe I need to get laid," I said, my eyebrows knitting together. I waited for some more of my usual crude remarks to pop into my head, but it just didn't happen.

"Wow, you really haven't changed," she laughed, shaking her head in amusement. I smiled when I heard her laugh, it'd been so long, it was like music to my ears. _Ugh, Damon you're such a loser. _

"Quit staring at me and start showing me some of your powers!" I said, getting excited like a little boy on Christmas. I was eager to see her do something super cool.

"Well, there are some things I can't show you because I'd harm you," she told me, a small smirk taking place on her mouth.

"Alright, Miss Arrogance," I joked and continued, "Let's go find someone to test them on!" A huge grin spread on my face. Elena burst out laughing, her eyes twinkling.

"No, let's not harm innocent people tonight," she said, still laughing quietly

"Oh, no! Please tell me you aren't on the bunny diet?" I asked desperately. It was bad enough that Stefan wasn't strong enough to drink human blood; I didn't need Elena being the same

"Nope, the blood bag diet," she said, licking her lips absentmindedly. I don't know how she managed it, but she definitely was even sexier than she was as a human

"So... anyway, if you are as powerful as you say, surely you should be able to take out Klaus?" I asked, changing the subject before I jumped her

"Well, technically speaking, a hybrid should be invincible. According to him, nothing can kill him anymore. But the witch definitely said I had the power to do it, but it takes something special to trigger it. I'm hoping I'll find my answers here, because anything involved with the supernatural can usually be found in Mystic Falls," she said with an eye roll. That was true, this place was where we found the Moon Stone, the necklace to open the tomb, and it's the birth place of the most recent doppelganger. Not to mention it's frequently visited by originals, including _the_ original himself, Mr Hybrid. Personally, I can't see why he's so proud to be a filthy little half breed.

"You'll find your answers. I'll do whatever you need me to do to help," I assured her, pressing a light kiss to her forehead and she sighed happily

"Thank you, Damon. It's so good to be home."

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><p><strong>Remember to hit that review button, please.<strong>

**_- Mia_.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Right, so I know it's taken me over two months to write this second chapter, and I truly apologise! I know how infuriating it is when people don't update, and you totally forget what happened in the previous chapter. This chapter has been so hard to write, and no matter how I finish it I'm just not pleased with it. This is the fourth ending I have given it, and I still don't particularly love it. I'm not going to keep stressing about it and making you guys wait anymore, though. Enjoy! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own the _Vampire Diaries_ or any of it's characters.**

_**** "Love is like war; easy to begin but very hard to stop." ****_

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><p>Damon seethed when he found Elena's bedroom empty. He should've known she'd do this to him. He stomped downstairs and realised that Alaric was nowhere to be found either. <em>Damn them!<em>

He'd spent the last two months helping Elena figure out how to defeat Klaus. They'd worked with Bonnie a lot, to see if she could find out what that special something was that was needed to give her enough power to take him out. Bonnie was unable to find the trigger, so the only option they had left was to train Elena for seven weeks solid to make her as strong as possible. Then they had gotten some news off of Bonnie yesterday. Klaus was coming to Mystic Falls. _Now._

Bonnie had told them he would be there within the next couple of days, but then Damon had an interesting phone call off of her earlier. She was frantic and talking a mile a minute; luckily being a vampire he could understand. She'd told him that Klaus was there already, and Elena had asked everyone not to tell him.

He had no idea where they were, and he had to find her! They both knew she wasn't powerful enough for this yet, but she was back to her old suicidal tendencies, trying to sacrifice herself in order to keep everyone else alive.

He pulled out his cell phone and dialled Bonnie's number. She picked up on the second ring and he snapped down the phone, "Track her. Now."

"Damon, think about this. If you go, Klaus will kill you. Elena is strong, she can handle herself."

"_Dammit, Bonnie!_ I don't care! All he has to do is bite her, and then you'll be standing in front of your best friend's grave! So I suggest you tell me where they are now," he hissed threateningly at her. He heard her sigh in defeat and murmured, "The clearing… the one where the sacrifice took place."

He ended the call and shoved the cell back into his jean pocket, and then took off at vampire speed. If she thought she was doing this without him, then she was terribly mistaken.

As he approached the clearing, he could hear people talking. Of course, it was _her_ voice that stood out to him. It amazed him that even when she spoke to someone she truly detested, she still had that calm, silky voice that had the ability to make his dead heart flutter.

The second he saw her, his previous anger towards her vanished. She was standing about twenty feet away from Klaus, and she was pulling a stake out of her stomach. "A stake, really? For an original, you're incredibly _un_original." Damon rolled his eyes. When she said things like that, she reminded him of himself, pissing people off at the wrong times. Klaus ran towards her, another stake in hand. Elena kicked him with so much force, that he went flying into a tree on the opposite side of the clearing.

"Impressive." Elena's head snapped around at the sound of Damon's voice. She looked like she'd seen a ghost.

"_What the hell are you doing here?" _She hissed.

"I could ask you the same thing." Before she could reply, Klaus had his hand around her throat. Elena stared at the stake that was now on the ground, and then suddenly it was plunged into the side of Klaus' neck. He stumbled backwards and yelped in pain and surprise. He looked at Elena, completely stunned.

"How did you do that? You didn't even move," Klaus questioned her as he yanked the sharp wood out of himself. Elena ignored him, and went to punch him in the face, but in the blink of an eye he had disappeared. She turned around to find him snapping Damon's neck.

"_No!" _She screamed out, horrified. All of a sudden, Klaus was on the ground crying out in pain, and there lying next to him was his arm. Elena's brows furrowed in confusion, she hadn't done anything? _Had she?_

She watched in disgust as he reattached his arm, and then ran at her again. _Gee, this guy just didn't know when to give up._

_-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-_

When Damon woke up, he noticed straight away that it was dark out. He heard the faint sound of movement, and then a bloodcurdling scream that was without a doubt Elena. He stood up and looked around, his vampire sight helping him to see through the dark. Not that he really needed it much; the clearing was lit up from a raging fire that encircled it, which he was fairly certain was a creation of Elena's.

He heard another scream, and he scanned the clearing until his eyes finally fell on her. She was crouched on the ground, and her clothes had soaked up more blood than he thought possible. Klaus was nowhere in sight, it was just him and Elena. He flashed over to her, and wrapped his arms tightly around her.

"Elena, what happened?" He asked worriedly. Tears trailed down her cheeks, seeping into the deep cuts that were on her face, and everywhere else on her body for that matter.

"He… he staked him, Damon. I couldn't do anything about it!" She sobbed, her tears spilling onto his shirt. "But when he threatened to stake you, something happened. It was the trigger!"

He looked at her, immensely confused. He had no idea who had gotten staked, and the trigger thing was lost on him too. "What do you mean? What was the trigger?"

"It… it was you," she whispered, her eyes wide and glistening with fresh tears. Damon frowned, trying to understand exactly what that meant.

"Does this mean he's gone? Did you kill Klaus, Elena?" She looked up at him, and shook her head, looking totally defeated. "I was about to. I was so, so close. But then it all went wrong!" More tears slid down her face, and Damon was about to ask her to continue explaining what happened, until he heard a familiar chuckle behind him. They both stood up and faced him, ready for a fight.

"I see you haven't told him yet," Klaus noted, an amused smirk on his face. Elena looked at the floor, trying to cover the broken look on her face. "I must say, I'm disappointed that you lied to me about your… _talents_, Elena. But now that your trigger is _dead_, what will you do?"

Elena wiped away the last of her tears, and looked up at Klaus, hatred glowing in her eyes. Her fangs dropped and the veins below her eyes protruded, she looked simply terrifying. A malicious smirk spread on her lips and she laughed mirthlessly at Klaus. "He wasn't my trigger, Klaus. My trigger is very much alive, thankfully." His eyes flared with surprise, and he growled. "If not him… then who? How did you almost kill me?"

Elena watched Klaus think it all through, and slowly work it out in his head. He glanced from Elena, to Damon and then back again. "Him? _Damon_ is your trigger?" He asked, genuinely shocked. Elena looked at Damon, who was watching the exchange with a completely perplexed expression. _Who was dead?_

"You're in love with him, aren't you?" Klaus questioned her suddenly, smirking slightly. She avoided eye contact with them both, and looked over at the trees. Her fingers clasped together and she fiddled with them nervously. Klaus laughed loudly, and it echoed around the clearing. "Well, that's just perfect. After I make you watch as I kill him, I can kill you with nothing getting in my way. It's all so tragic, isn't it? He pines for you pathetically for two years, whilst you love his brother, and once you finally realise how you truly feel about him, it's too late."

Elena was about to respond with the most biting comeback she could think of, until Bonnie walked into the clearing. Klaus and Damon followed her gaze, and both narrowed their eyes when they saw her.

"Dammit, witch, what are you doing here? _Are you suicidal?_" Damon hissed at her, looking at Elena for backup. Before any of them could say anything, Bonnie started chanting, clearly trying to cast a spell.

"Bonnie, don't!" Elena screamed, and as soon as the words passed her lips, Klaus had Bonnie's back pressed against him and his hands around her throat, ready to twist it.

"Please, don't!" Elena begged, the traitor tears starting up again. "You've already killed one person I care about, don't kill Bonnie too!"

"She knew the risk she was taking by coming here, sweetheart. And unfortunately for her, I don't take too kindly to people trying to kill me," he said, throwing her a pointed glance. In the blink of an eye, Bonnie had dropped to the ground, her neck snapped. Elena winced at the sight of her friends' dead body, and a small sob escaped her.

Klaus cruelly kicked the body to the side, and sighed dramatically. "A shame, really. She had such potential."

Elena snarled furiously and sped over to him, but when she got there he'd already moved. She whipped around and found him, with his arm around Damon and his fangs grazing his neck. "No, don't! You've already killed two of the most important people in my life. Please, you've made your point!" She begged, her body shaking frantically with sobs.

"Sorry, love. He's a liability; he's a vital part to my death." Before Elena could do anything, his teeth had sunk into Damon's neck. Elena screamed out, and her eyes reddened with rage. He would _not_ take Damon from her!

Klaus' head snapped up as the trees surrounding them moved with the wind, their leaves fluttering frantically. The fire circling the clearing grew wilder, and thunder boomed in the sky. He looked at Elena, and watched as her hands twitch slightly. Suddenly, there were stakes penetrating several parts of his body. Several on his legs and chest, and another in his heart and neck. He screeched out, and dropped Damon to the ground. He felt a searing, white hot pain flowing through his veins, and he continued to cry in agony. He looked down at his body and watched as his leg was torn away from the rest of his body, and then flew into the fire. Suddenly, the same thing happened to his left arm.

Elena stared, amazed at what she was doing to him without even consciously thinking about it. "Damon, drink from him, quickly!" She screamed, needing Damon's bite to heal before Klaus was dead. After all, his blood was the cure. Damon grabbed Klaus' arm that was still attached, and bit into his ulnar artery at the wrist. He managed to swallow a mouthful, before there were parts of Klaus flying all around the clearing and falling into the flames that Elena created.

"What the…?" Damon breathed out, watching in awe as Elena's powers showed their true potential.

Once Elena was sure that Klaus' body was burnt to a crisp, she ran to Damon's side immediately, examining the patch of skin on his neck where there were used to be two small holes. "You're okay," she sighed in relief, rubbing smoothing circles over the previously punctured flesh.

"I'm fine," he promised, pulling her in for a tight hug. He held her close as she sobbed, mourning the death of her best friend, and the death of someone else who he wasn't sure of yet.

"Elena." He grabbed her shoulders and pulled her back. She stared into his eyes as more tears slipped from her own. "Who else died?"

Elena bit her lip; she was practically on the verge of a panic attack. She knew she was too much of a coward to tell him with words, so she grabbed his hand and pulled him across the clearing with her until they reached the edge of the impressive wall of flames.

"What are you doing?" He asked her, as she shut her eyes and concentrated. Damon was mesmerised by what happened next. He closed his eyelids to blink, and by the time he had opened them the fire was gone, and Elena was no longer by his side. Instead she was in front of him, crouched over a dead body that Damon instantly recognised.

"Stefan!" He gasped, and then fell to the ground next to him. He pulled out the stake that was lodged in his brother's heart. Elena's heartbroken sobs echoed through the clearing, and Damon couldn't help but cry himself. He cried for Stefan. He cried for Bonnie. He cried for himself. But most of all, he cried for the broken girl next to him. She'd suffered a lifetime of pain in the last two hours, and at least dozen lifetime's worth of pain in her short 18 years. It seemed like everyone she loved always had to die. Damon made a vow right then and there to never die; he would always be there with her, up until the very end. They could protect each other, and move on with their lives now that Klaus was dead.

"Sleep tight, little brother," Damon whispered, and gently closed his brother's eyelids.

"Damon?" He heard her mumble weakly. He looked over at her, and watched as she linked her hand with his. "Let's get out of here."

They stood up together hand-in-hand and left the clearing, then Mystic Falls. The walked away from the last two years of agonising torture, watching everyone die in this supernatural battle.

When they were falling asleep that night in a dusty motel in Ohio, Elena curled up into Damon's chest as she remembered the last words to escape Stefan's mouth. "Be happy."

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><p><strong>Remember to hit that review button, please.<strong>

-_** Mia.**_


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